EU financiert project voor verbetering locomotieven Frankrijk (en)

The European Union will support to the tune of almost €6.5 million the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) retrofit of 70 locomotives in France. The project will ultimately allow the locomotives to travel beyond French borders, thus ensuring more competitiveness for the rail sector whilst at the same time improving its safety.

The project, selected for funding under the 2011 TEN-T Multi-Annual Call, involves 70 Alstom Prima locomotives, which will be retrofitted with the latest consolidated version of European Train Control System (ETCS), which guarantees a common standard that enables trains to cross national borders and enhances safety. Two prototypes will also be fitted as part of the project, which will cover the prototyping, testing and certifying phases.

ERTMS is a major European industrial initiative to make rail transport safer and more competitive. Its goal is to substitute more than 20 different train control-command systems which are currently in use inEuropewith a single harmonised system.

The project, which will be managed by the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency, is set to be concluded by the end of 2014.

For more information, please consult the project's page!

Press Release in French - .doc (42 KB)